Reflections
by TamariChan
Summary: Kel and Zahir puzzle with their missions. Sequel to Reintroductions, set a few months after.


**Disclaimer: The world and characters of Tortall aren't mine. I'm just borrowing them.**

**Another fic for the Ficmas Exchange at Goldenlake, for Seek! This is the sequel to _Reintroductions_, and there might be another following this one. It's not completely necessary to read that fic first, but it'd probably help.  
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-:-**  
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She leaned against the side of the tent and bit her lip.

"What's wrong?" Zahir looked over from across the tent, where he was brushing his dark hair.

Kel gestured to the papers and scrolls strewn around her. "This makes no sense," she said, frustrated. "When you were His Majesty's squire, did he just send you off on missions for no reason and only explain with a cryptic letter every now and then?"

"Yes," Zahir said wryly. "But I suppose you're not used to it yet. I can't see the Giantkiller messing with _anyone's _head just to amuse himself."

"Then you didn't see him during the progress." Kel stood up, shaking a few tightly wound scrolls off of her breeches.

Zahir snorted. "True enough," he said. "By the way, Kel, have you seen Queenscove? He was supposed to send an update to the king -" Zahir brandished yet another letter at Kel - "but evidently he didn't. I didn't become a knight to babysit sarcastic mages, you know!"

"He's a knight, too," Kel said. "But no, haven't seen him." She rubbed her face with both hands before realizing she'd had ink on her hands.

Zahir grinned and Kel raised an eyebrow at him.

"Something funny?"

"You look adorable." He took a few steps toward her and used the pad of his thumb to stroke an ink stain on her cheek, smiling tenderly down at her.

Even after the months they'd been in the desert together, he still made her breath hitch a little. It was too strange, too intimate - even Cleon hadn't made her feel like that. And it _had _been hard for Kel to believe Zahir's sincerity, but long talks through the night and shared frustration over their mysterious task made it easier to forgive and forget.

"I do not," she said, in what she meant to be an irritated tone but came out too soft. "I look like a complete mess."

"An adorable mess," Zahir corrected. He bent his head a little lower and kissed the cheek that was stained. "A beautiful, gorgeous, strong mess."

Kel was finding it more and more difficult to be cross about anything. "Um," she said. "Is this really the time?"

"It's always the time to compliment someone as lovely as you," Zahir said, still smiling.

She gave him a look.

He held up his hands. "One of the most important things I learned as the king's squire is to take a break every once in a while," he said. "You'll go mad, elsewise."

Kel conceded defeat at that and twisted her arms around Zahir's tan neck. He wrapped his own arms around her waist.

_Lucky he's so tall_, _although that's not the most romantic thing to think about your... _Kel didn't know how to describe Zahir, even in her thoughts. They weren't lovers, but they weren't exactly friends either. _Friendly people who like to kiss and cuddle? _She grinned into his shoulder.

"Something funny?" Zahir said, echoing her statement from earlier.

"Just thinking about you," she said.

He looked down at her with narrowed eyes, but she smiled innocently and tilted her head up to brush his lips with hers. She didn't pull away after a brief moment as she had planned, though.

His arms tightened around her waist and hers went to his hair, still wet and somewhat tangled because he hadn't finished brushing it. She pulled at it, wanting him closer, closer...

The tent flap unzipped. "Look, Zahir, I _told _you I sent that!"

Kel disentangled herself faster than she would have thought possible and whirled.

Neal, who had been looking over his shoulder as he entered, glanced at them for only a second before he took in her ruffled clothing and flushed cheeks, and Zahir's messy hair.

"_Ugh," _Neal said, promptly exiting the tent.

"Just because _he's _away from his lady doesn't mean-" Zahir grumbled.

"Oh, shh," Kel said. "Weren't you the one who said we could deal with everything else later?" She didn't wait for a reply, continuing where they'd left off.


End file.
